title: Marinobufagenin levels in preeclamptic patients: a preliminary report.
abstract: Preeclampsia is a disorder resulting in significant fetomaternal complications with no definitive pharmacological intervention. A bufadienolide, marinobufagenin, has been implicated in the etiology of preeclampsia. We investigated both the blood and urine levels of marinobufagenin in preeclamptic and control subjects. Preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women were recruited at various gestational age periods. Blood and urine specimens were obtained and analyzed for marinobufagenin levels and creatinine. The former determination was performed utilizing a new, novel chemifluorescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The marinobufagenin levels were higher in preeclamptics than in the controls in both serum and urine at various gestational age periods. Additionally, the mean level of marinobufagenin in the preeclamptic group was significantly greater than in controls in both blood and urine specimens ( P < 0.05). These data are consistent with a role for marinobufagenin in the etiology of preeclampsia. This study demonstrated comparable results in blood and urine samples. This suggests that subsequent studies on levels of marinobufagenin as a screening test for preeclampsia could be done utilizing urine samples, which are easier to obtain, less invasive, more cost-effective, and as accurate as the serological tests.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology/Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center/Scott & White, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Enoch
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agunanne
authors.forename: Darijana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horvat
authors.forename: Recherael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: M Nasir
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kuehl
authors.forename: Daad Abi
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Luc R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Berghman
authors.forename: Xinzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romo
authors.forename: Jules B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Puschett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002018:Bufanolides / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D002018:Bufanolides; C093896:marinobufagenin